When my dogs don't listen to me - here's the reason why!

I’ve been thinking about how my dogs understand me…or don’t as the case often is! I use so many different words to communicate the same thing - how confusing this must be for one that does not speak English let alone a dog who tries so hard to do what we say to please their Leader.

Take my pack - there are so many different words meaning recall - come back to me…come here now…I mean it come over here….right now….get here…and the list goes on and on! They have all been trained to recall with the word “Come” said only once and by itself with a firm yet welcoming tone! But it’s way too easy being a human to use different words, it’s natural as I think well if that didn’t work then I’ll try something else to see if they can understand me, or I’ll repeat myself and escalate my tone ...OK I get louder to shout level :-) So this totally confuses my pack, should they recall when I command “Come” or “come here” or even “Come Come Come” so only responding when I say it 3 times in a row or when said loudest - you see the tone of the word changes it’s context - the meaning to a dog!

I have spent a week observing what I say, and how I say it …fascinating and trust me really hard to stick to “keep it simple” and only use specific consistent commands….and I’m a Student Dog Psychologist! Try it even if only for a short while and imagine how your dog is supposed to know what is meant - they just don’t string words together to have a different meaning, or prefix words with “No” meaning don’t do that e.g. “No pull” means “No” then “Pull” so my Dobey Max would stop then begin to pull as instructed!! Imagine then how a sentence must seem to a dog - baffling :-)

So how do my pack keep up with me - they read my energy and body language to figure out what I mean, they use trial and error - if their response doesn’t get a reward then they try another one, thankfully my dogs are like most dogs- very clever at learning to understand us. Oh and if they don’t think I am serious and will follow-through they will ignore me - then guess that’s the same between humans too! I mean imagine how a human "going on and on" at their dog must sound - not only like "Doggie nagging" but totally incomprehensible too!

What have my dogs taught me? To think before I speak, which is a lesson I often need to apply in all walks of life, I’m a typical human "language repeater" and talk about the same things in many ways to get my point across which can work with humans but not dogs! Actually suspect it can be irritating for other humans too…but hey I’m only human :-)

Human Affection - from how a dog sees it!

When I think of affection I think of how us humans see it as in hugs, kisses or maybe doing something caring for another, but my dogs don't see affection the same way!

In fact any attention from me is affection, affection is a reward to my dogs. Think about that and you'll soon understand why some dogs seem to love being told off - if I nag at Peter "Bad Boy" or "Stop That" he doesn't get it as a correction he just sees it as my attention upon him...he laps it up! So rather than getting him to stop what I don't want him to do rather I am encouraging him to continue...Another say Eddie will understand it as "me cross" and will become fearful but still does not associate it with her doing anything wrong - even though she may look like she's guilty that's fear! Even laughing at their naughtiness can be an encouraging signal....bit like how we as adults know we shouldn't laugh when children do wrong but what they are doing is funny!!!

If my dogs ask for affection, the old paw on the knee trick then I try to ignore them ...hard as it is as they're such a darn cute bunch and have some great manipulative tricks to get me to give-in..Jack especially who turns around presenting me with his back over and over as he knows I can pick him up in one hand...or Monty who gives me a half smile, bright eyes then bounces off outside hoping I will follow to walk him! If I do give-in though I immediately become a follower and not a leader, so I ignore them/claim my space so they have to move away, then later once I know they have resettled I call them over to share affection, no negotiation...only on my terms reinforcing my leadership!

How do they know when I am pleased with them? My energy tells them...words are not always necessary to communicate with my canine chums! Neither do they need cuddles, treats, toys etc to feel my love....... don't get me started on designer coats, collars etc that really is for the owners pleasure and is not understood as affection by a dog! I show them my love everyday - every time I feed them and take care of them in the way they need their leader too.

Sounds like I'm being tough? - not to my dogs it doesn't it's how they expect a Pack Leader to behave! So if you want to teach a dog new rules or change a behaviour - remember exercise then comes the discipline then affection as a reward.......in that order it works!